Stretching

[Luckster013]

I want to be able to do the splits so i can do a better spiral. Any tips? How long should it take?



Thanks guys!!!!!!

[Mercedeslove]

I'd like to be able to do the same thing, but have no idea where to start. Thank god I have some flexibility.

[techskater]

Splits do not equat to a better spiral because of the assisted method of the stretch to get into the splits. You are better off working on your back strength

[Mrs Redboots]

My coach stretches his skaters (including me) at the boards, lifting their legs as high as they can go, so you feel the stretch down your other leg and are yelling "Owwwww!" at him and he's going "Good, it's supposed to hurt!" But the point is, you need to get someone to help you with these stretches, lifting each leg in turn as high as it will go, and helping you hold it there.

[Isk8NYC]

Another good exercise is to have someone hold your free foot DOWN while you try to lift it up into the spiral position.
Strengthens the muscles you need to lower it gracefully. Ankle weights are useful off-ice.

Overextending when your muscles are cold could cause an injury to the skater.
Better to do only gentle stretches until you've warmed up completely.

If you're stretching after you've warmed up, skated, or exercised, you'll have more range of motion when you stretch.
I usually stroke for a while then stretch out using the rink boards as a ballet barre.
If you plie' while in the spiral position, it will stretch the hip/thigh muscles.

Skate@Delaware was going to post some stretching exercises, but I couldn't find them online. She has a beautiful spiral, btw.

FWIW, I don't agree with the "It's supposed to hurt..." but, I'm not an expert. To each his/her own, I suppose.

[Team Arthritis]

Be gentle! I stretch every day and went from not being able to touch my ankles to splits with both legs in about 3 years. Don't forget, you need to stretch the Hamstrings as well as the Quads to do a nice splits.

Here is a great spiral exercise: stand on L leg holding a bar/ stair rail, loosley in R hand. First bend foreward and try to do a standing split. Next bend the L knee, look front, keep a flat back with free leg straight back; now rise up on L knee keeping back parallel to floor but stretch and raise R leg up as high as you can and hold it for 10 breaths. Repeat on other side. This is even better if you wear heavy shoes. http://www.cosgan.de/images/midi/sportlich/p005.gif
Lyle

[doubletoe]

Yes, take your time and hold each stage of the stretch for 30 seconds before pushing it a little further. Here is a great website that will tell you how to stretch all the muscles you need in the splits:

http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/stretching_7.html

But yes, it's also true that you need strength in your lower back and upper glutes (butt muscles) in order to pull that free leg up and keep it up with that heavy skate at the end of it. So also make sure you practice spirals a lot on the ice, on each foot. Try to hold each one as long as you possibly can to develop that muscle strength and balance.

[Skate@Delaware]

Skate@Delaware was going to post some stretching exercises, but I couldn't find them online. She has a beautiful spiral, btw.

I knooooow.....I had a problem with my video....I will do it!!! I PROMISE!!!!!!:oops:

[Isk8NYC]

I knooooow.....I had a problem with my video....I will do it!!! I PROMISE!!!!!!I wasn't trying to guilt you about the video - I know you WROTE something about your stretching, but I didn't find it with a quick search. No apology needed.

[Paulie86]

FWIW, I don't agree with the "It's supposed to hurt..." but, I'm not an expert. To each his/her own, I suppose.

I'm no expert either, but I do go to an off ice stretching class and have realised that if you don't push yourself(or get someone else to push you) you won't stretch the muscel fully. It really should only be a bareable pain that you can breathe through and after 20-30 seconds you can go lower etc into the stretch to get a greater stretch. It takes a little getting used to.

I would suggest stretching all muscles in your back and legs before trying to do the splits, as well as before you try to do a higher spiral than you already can, otherwise you might hurt yourself.

An execise I use to strengthen my lower back is done using an execise ball. Place your feet up against a wall and place your stomach on the ball, but not directly at the top. Lower yourself over the ball and then with your hands around your chin or forehead lift yourself up as high as you can hold it, wait a few seconds and lower yourself down.

[doubletoe]

I think the danger is that different people have different concepts of "pain." It's true that when you are stretching to achieve more flexibility, you will be *very uncomfortable*. But actual "pain" could mean you are pulling a muscle, which is a very bad thing and will only make your muscle tighten up further. I think the key is to stretch only with warm muscles and to stretch gradually, holding each position for 20-30 seconds before pushing a little further. And that IS quite uncomfortable! :??

[xofivebyfive]

Took me from about April until August to get a split. Well.. not the side to side one but I can do the front to back one. I'm also 15 so that might help. Basically I stretched my legs about three times a day for about 10 minutes. Well it wasn't the length of time that I meausured by. I just did like ten basic stretch positions two times for 15 seconds each trying to reach farther each time..

[Emberchyld]

Take it from someone who has finally gotten over a pulled hamstring and is back to square one on splits on the right leg-- gentle stretching when fully warmed up is very important (I thought I was warmed up and was being very careful... and I still heard that dreaded ripping sound in my hamstring as I bent into my stretch).

The same principles that govern candy making apply to muscles-- when the candy is warm, it's nice and pliable, able to be moved into any shape (that the nature of the candy would allow, of course! You can't expect peanut brittle to mold the same as taffy... just like you can't expect someone who's never touched their toes to stretch as well as a gymnast). As it gets cooler, it tears slightly when you try to pull it. Cooler still, and it tears dramatically. Fully cold, and it snaps.

When you stretch, you should feel slight tension in the muscle... any more than that and you could be doing damage. Bouncing your stretches actually causes your muscle fibers to tense up and you end up worsening your ability to stretch... you should hold a stretch for no less than 20 seconds to get any benefit from it. And if you repeat the stretch, you should be able to deepen it even more. There are some awesome stretching books and even online information with lots of stretches for all of the different muscles that contibute to splits. To get mine back, I'm working on lunges and hamstring flexibility.

For spirals, like a lot of other people said here, back strength is important, too. To improve our arabesques in ballet class, we used to:

1. Superman: lay on your stomach, raise your arms and legs up off of the ground at the same time as high as you can, and hold it. You should feel this in your back, abs, arms, and legs. Keep that belly button pressed into the ground!

2. Lay on your stomach and lift your right leg up as high as you can go... without disengaging your pelvis from the ground. Repeat on the left

3. Do #2, but add lifting the the opposite arm, like a half-superman.

Core strength is really important for this, too, so don't forget to work your abs as well. Remember that everything in the body works best in opposition-- when you lift your leg into the arabesque, you "Pull up (at varying degrees)" with your back and glutes and hamstring, and "push down" with your quads and your opposing leg. You might not feel or even notice this unless you really pay attention... but imagine just having to yank up your leg with just your back muscles or your hamstrings.

I hope that helped (if I got anything wrong, I hope someone will correct me on this-- all of this is from personal experience!)

[Team Arthritis]

Emberchyld - I loved you post, and the taffy analogy was great.

I've torn both hamstrings and both groins when I thought that I was warm and loose. I NEVER stretch until it hurts because now it feels good right up until it rips. The only injury prevention stretching tip I've picked up is that I go into the stretch with the muscles tight, ie. against contraction, and only when I'm stable and can't stretch anymore then I relax them. This especially applies to assisted stretching, eg with another person or using your weight to push it further.

The Australian Army did a huge (32,000 person) study of stretching vs warmup exercises for injury prevention. The result is perfectly clear, stretching does not prevent injries, only warming up does (calisthenics in this case).

The USFSA did a neat study of "elite athletes" and found that the best jumpers are significantly less limber than their peers but more limber than the average lower level skaters. Other studies have shown that stretching decreases jumping force by about 3% for 30 minutes.

LOL 3% less jump vs inabiity to bend over and tie my skates, I'll keep stretching before I skate.
Lyle

[Emberchyld]

Emberchyld - I loved you post, and the taffy analogy was great.

I've torn both hamstrings and both groins when I thought that I was warm and loose. I NEVER stretch until it hurts because now it feels good right up until it rips. The only injury prevention stretching tip I've picked up is that I go into the stretch with the muscles tight, ie. against contraction, and only when I'm stable and can't stretch anymore then I relax them. This especially applies to assisted stretching, eg with another person or using your weight to push it further.


Thanks, Team Arthritis! This was hamstring tear #2, and just like you, both times were when I thought I was totally warmed up.
:lol: The taffy was the first thing that I thought when I heard my second hamstring tear... the first time, it really sounded like a "pop...pop...pop", but this last time was that snap that you get from not-warm enough candy.

I like the way that you do your stretching-- I have to try that (it probably will help with bringing back the strength in that muscle, too!)